As a semiconductor light emitting device, there is a known structure in which an n-type semiconductor layer to be a contact layer, an n-type cladding layer, an active layer, a p-type cladding layer, and a p-type semiconductor layer to be a contact layer are normally stacked on a substrate, and an n-electrode and a p-electrode to be ohmic electrodes are formed on the n-type semiconductor layer and the p-type semiconductor layer to be the contact layers, respectively. To extract light from the side of the p-type semiconductor layer in the semiconductor light emitting device, indium tin oxide (ITO) having a high transmittance is normally used as the p-electrode. However, because of the low ohmic properties of ITO, a device with excellent properties is difficult to manufacture only with ITO. In view of that, there is a suggested structure in which a metal oxide layer made of an element other than In and Sn is provided between ITO and a contact layer to improve contact properties and transmission properties.
However, there exists ITO sandwiching the region of the metal oxide layer, and the transmittance of the ITO cannot be utilized as it is. Also, since a metal oxide other than ITO is used, different etching conditions from those of ITO are required, and the manufacturing process becomes complicated.